Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1887-05-07

in the Washington Monument will not
be in active operation during the
National Drill, when so many sight
seers will be in the city. But instead
of being lifted rapidly through the
shaft they will be compelled TO tramp
up and down five hundred feet of iron
stairway by the light of candles held
by themselves. The arrangements are
complete for lighting the interior of
the Monument with seventy-fve incan-
descent electric lights, with which the
effect is very striking. The electric
lighting plant was provided for by the
appropriation for completing the Mon
ument, as was also the elevator, but
there is need of more Congressional
legislation and another appropriation
before either can be put into regular
operation.
The Monument was lighted at its
dedication, but few persons knew it, as
but few entered the Monument on that
occasion. Since then it has only been
lighted for testing purposes, and once
when in honor Of Mrs. Cleveland, who
made trip to the top. The lights are
at the stairway landings, and are fas.
tened to brackets extending from the
iron framework in the centre of the
shaft. The effect is very striking as
one looks up the shaft from the bottom
and sees these brilliant lights on al
ternate sides; extending all the way to
the top, and brilliantly illuminating
the entire interior of the structure.
Workmen have placed the memorial
stones in the panels prepared for them
in the interior Of the Monument, all
the way up, and the inscriptions on
them show with perfect distinctness in
the electric lights. When some of
the cement was taken out in fitting in
some of these stones, it was found to
be as solid as the marble surrounding
it. Curiosity seekers think they ought
not to leave Washington without hav-
ing been to the top of the highest
structure in the world built by the
hands of man, and although the past
winter was unusually Indictment and
unsuitable for such an excursion,
about two thousand people trudged up
the winding stairway to its dizzy
height during each month.
They have been very busy at the
National Museum during the week
trying to get the Grant relics placed
on exhibition before the National
Drill begins. The task is nearly COM
pleted, and the cases already exhibited
have attracted much notice. Five
cases will contain the whole collection
except the paintings and large objects
which cannot be put into cases. Many
Of these articles are souvenirs of Gen.
Grants trip around the world. There
is splendid collection of old japanese
coins Of huge size valued at $4,000.
There are large swords, gold headed
canes, caskets, medallions, rare woods,
silver plate and sparkling gems which
vie with each other to attract the eye.
There are invitation cards, menu cards,
reminders of entertainments given in
his honor, embossed on gold plates.
One invitation to a masked ball given
at San Francisco, upon Gen. Grants
arrival in that city, on his return from
his famous tour, is engraved on solid
gold, and was enclosed in a silver
envelope with the address engraved
upon it, In the right hand corner is
a two cent stamp, and in the left, the
usual "If not delivered in tep days,
return to, etc" There is a casket
carved from the wood of Shakspeare's
mulberry tree, and many other articles
that have value by association.